Durga Puja 2026: Maha Shashthi Begins October 16, Vijaya Dashami Falls on October 21
Durga Puja 2026: The Full Calendar
The countdown to Bengal's biggest festival has begun. According to Drikpanchang, Durga Puja 2026 opens with Maha Shashthi on Friday, October 16, and closes with Bijoya Dashami on Wednesday, October 21. The season formally kicks off a week earlier with Mahalaya on Saturday, October 10, which marks the end of Pitri Paksha and the beginning of Devi Paksha — the signal that Goddess Durga is on her way.
For millions of people across India and beyond, the festival is far more than a religious ritual. It is the time when families return to their hometowns, friends walk from one pandal to another late into the night, and even the busiest city slows down to make space for art, music and food. White kaash flowers sway by the roadside, the sound of the dhak echoes in the distance, and everything seems to hum with one thought: Maa is coming home.
The Key Dates
- Mahalaya: Saturday, October 10
- Maha Shashthi: Friday, October 16
- Maha Saptami: Sunday, October 18
- Maha Ashtami: Monday, October 19
- Maha Navami: Tuesday, October 20
- Vijaya Dashami: Wednesday, October 21
Maha Ashtami, one of the most important days of the festival, falls on Monday, October 19.
Sandhi Puja Timings Confirmed
Sandhi Puja will take place on Monday, October 19, from 10:27 AM to 11:15 AM. The ritual marks the meeting point of the final 24 minutes of Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of Navami. In Hindu tradition, this moment is linked to Goddess Chamunda defeating the demons Chanda and Munda. Many puja committees mark it with lamps, offerings and special dhak performances.
From Shashthi to Dashami: How the Festival Unfolds
On Shashthi, the goddess is welcomed with rituals such as Kalparambha and Bodhan, with the evening carrying special importance because it marks her awakening. Saptami brings Nabapatrika Snan, when nine plants are bathed and worshipped. On Ashtami, devotees offer flowers in Pushpanjali, and many pandals also hold Kumari Puja, where a young girl is worshipped as the divine feminine. Navami closes the main worship with bhog, dhak beats and Dhunuchi Naach. On Dashami, married women play Sindoor Khela before the idols are taken for immersion.
Why Durga Puja Is Celebrated
Durga Puja celebrates the goddess's victory over Mahishasura, the buffalo demon. The legend is read as the triumph of good over evil, with Durga as Shakti, the divine feminine power. The festival also carries a deeply emotional side in Bengali culture: Maa Durga is seen as a daughter returning to her parental home to visit her mother and family for a few days before going back to her husband's home on Mount Kailash. That is why the final farewell feels so personal. For many, Dashami is both a celebration and a goodbye, with people exchanging Bijoya greetings, seeking elders' blessings and hoping she returns next year.
Kolkata's UNESCO-Recognised Spectacle
The festival is celebrated with immense fervour in Bengal, where it is far more than temple worship. Kolkata's celebrations bring together idol-making, pandal architecture, lighting, music, traditional drumming, food and community participation. In December 2021, UNESCO added "Durga Puja in Kolkata" to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
UNESCO describes it as a strong example of religion and art coming together in public, with large installations and Bengali drumming, and says the divides of class, religion and ethnicity fade as crowds walk around to admire the pandals. Artists, craftsmen, designers and local communities all play a part.